


Running Home

by someonehelpme



Series: Timkon Week 2019 [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, Lord Tim, M/M, Prince Kon-El, TimKon Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 15:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20048230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/someonehelpme/pseuds/someonehelpme
Summary: Timkon Week 2019Day 2 - Established relationship - Arranged marriagePrince Kon-El was enjoying his trip to the kingdom of Gotham. An unexpected arranged marriage changed that.





	Running Home

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2! I chose Arranged Marriage. As always, I have no beta, so I will make mistakes. Please call me out, I want to fix them!
> 
> If you read my last Timkon Week submission, you may come to the same conclusion: I'm obsessed with royal garden and sappy romances. This was a realization I wasn't prepared for, and I believe it speaks greatly about my character. I learn more and more about myself the more I write.

The gardens of the Wayne Palace were best viewed at twilight, when the sun had just barely left the sky, leaving streaks of pink and orange in the sky. The gardens were open to the court, save a few reserved for the family, and were a favorite meeting place of nobles. Many used the numerous hidden grottos as a secret meeting place for their lovers. Others used them to disappear from the rigors of court life and relax among the fragrant blooms.

Prince Kon-El of Krypton found his favorite part of the garden the second day of his visit to the Wayne kingdom and had visited it every day since.

It was far off the beaten path and it appeared as if it had been forgotten years before he found it. It was completely hidden from the rest of the garden, which made it Kon’s sanctuary. A small river wound its way through part of the garden, likely a part of a larger section that over time spilled into his little corner. A large tree stood in the center and an old swing was attached to one of its sturdy branches. Because of its neglect, the garden had no beautiful rose bushes or carefully tended tulips. Instead, ivy covered the walls separating it from the rest of the garden and wildflowers grew everywhere. Kon liked to make flower crowns out of the numerous daisies.

There was only one other person in the kingdom who knew about the secluded garden and Kon waited for him. He hung up his crown on one of the low hanging branches, watching it sway slightly in the breeze.

It wasn’t like Tim to be late.

Normally, it was Tim waiting for Kon, sitting on the swing and kicking his feet. Or wading through the river or laying in the grass reading a book. Kon could count on one hand the number of times he had beaten Tim to their garden, and he had only beaten him because he had tried. Every rustle of leaves had Kon perking up in hopes that it was Tim, but to no avail.

By the time the sun had completely set Kon was ready to give up. The winds were picking up and he had an early start tomorrow.

He was ready to leave by the time he heard the rusty gate creek open. A hooded figure pushed past the gate and entered the garden.

Kon ducked behind the tree. If it wasn’t Tim, he didn’t want to lose the secrecy of the garden that he shared with Tim.

He didn’t have to worry, for when the person removed the hood it was Tim.

And then Kon had to worry for a completely different reason.

“Kon?” Tim whispered, his voice rough. Tears streamed down his face unchecked. He glanced around the garden, looking for Kon.

“Tim?” Kon rushed over to him, checking him over for injuries. Tim’s relived face at the sight of him made Kon even more concerned. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I am fine,” said Tim automatically. Then he let loose a bitter laugh. “Well, physically at least.”

Kon paused in his inspection to glance at Tim’s face. He had never seen Tim so angry, miserable, and defeated before. “Love… What happened?”

And that was Kon’s secret.

Bigger than the garden, his birthright, and all others, was the secret courtship between him and Timothy Jackson Drake.

Tim closed his eyes and did not respond.

Kon cupped Tim’s face in his hands. “Please, starlight.”

Tim opened his eyes but did not look at Kon.

“I am to be wed.”

Kon had heard before about people hearing important news and fainting before but had laughed it off as a fairytale. Now, however, the only thing keeping him grounded was the feel of Tim’s skin beneath his hands. “What.”

“I am to be wed. My parent-” Tim bit his lip. “They’ve arranged the marriage. Kon, you have to believe me, I do not wish for this. I-”

Kon cut him off by wrapping him in a tight hug. Tim clung to him and Kon could feel his shoulder getting wet from silent tears. Kon picked up Tim and carried him over to the base of the tree, where he held Tim until his tears dried.

“Tim. I love you.” Kon whispered into Tim’s hair. “I love you so much. We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

“What’s there to figure out?” Tim replied, his voice thick with tears. “I cannot stop this.”

“You’re married yet,” Kon said determinedly. “When do they expect to leave?”

Tim swiped at his face with the edge of his cape. “In a fortnight.”

“So soon?”

“I think they’ve been planning this for a while.”

Two weeks. If Kon didn’t come up with a plan, he could lose Tim forever in two weeks. The reality of the matter started to crash around him. Fortunately, Kon had always been adept at ignoring the facts and powering through.

“Alright. That doesn’t give us much time to plan, but we’ll manage.” Kon had a sudden and terrifying realization. If Tim was in an arranged marriage, then there was someone planning to marry him. “Do you, uh, know…” He trailed off.

“I know his name and little else. We’re never met.” Tim’s face hardened. “I do know he’s old enough to be my father, but he’s also a duke, and that is all my parents’ care about.”

Kon pressed a kiss against Tim’s temple. “Too bad for all of them, because no one is going to force you to do anything while I’m around, especially not creepy old dukes.”

That got a small half smile out of Tim but Kon could still see the despair in his eyes.

“What’s wrong, love?” Kon asked.

“Don’t you see how ridiculous this is. Even if I was to run, they would simply drag me back. If I refuse, my parents would-” Tim cut himself off and curled tighter into a ball. “They would be furious.”

“Do you think they would hurt you?” Kon had always hated Tim’s parents. Lord and Lady Drake were as cold and cruel as Tim was loving and kind. They regularly left Tim alone at court, taking notice of him only when they needed him. Like for an arranged marriage. But despite this, Kon never thought that either of them were physically violent.

“I don’t know. When they first told me about the marriage, I refused. I’ve never seen them so angry before. My father was furious, but I don’t think he’d hurt me. Disown me, maybe, but he wouldn’t hurt me. My mother, however… I think that if I tried to refuse again, I would never see sunlight again.”

“Then we can’t let them know.”

“Know what?” Tim asked, tilting his head to look up at Kon.

“That we plan to run away.”

Tim laughed, then saw Kon’s face. “Run away? Kon, you can’t be serious!”

“I am. We could start a new life somewhere, anywhere! You could make it anywhere in the world and I’d help you.” Kon swept his hand through the air. “Just imagine it! We could get a small house, someplace with a view. I’d constantly burn stuff in the kitchen, you can leave your books everywhere, and every night we could open all the windows and hear the noise of the city beneath us.”

Tim’s face softened, allowing himself to imagine a life like the one Kon described. It wouldn’t be anything like the one he lived now. There would be no servants waiting on him, no more jewels in his hair, and certainly no more meetings with kings.

Only the last one made him sad. If he was to run away with Kon, he knew there was no way to tell King Wayne about it safely. His king would be honor bound to report such things to Tim’s parents, or worse King Kal-El. Tim wished there was a way to say goodbye, to thank him for everything he’d done for him.

It made his heart hurt for a moment. The life Kon described was beautiful, but it would have no early morning breakfasts with Princess Cassandra, sparring sessions with Prince Jason, or hugs from Prince Richard, who always asked him to call him Dick. Hell, he’d even miss the tiny brat, with his barbed insults that covered Prince Damian's fears of court life.

However, the more he considered, the less he cared. He wouldn’t have that anyway if he married the duke. Better to leave on his own terms then be forced in a loveless marriage and loose it all anyway.

There was one more thing to consider though. Tim felt all the hope rush out of him.

“You’re forgetting something.” Kon’s eyebrows came together in confusion. “As long as I am unwed, my parents could still drag me home and force me into another marriage.”

“Oh, is that all?” Kon said, voice teasing. “That’s easy to fix.”

Tim put two and two together. “No, Kon. I’m not letting you marry me just to prevent my marriage to another. I won’t put that burden on you.”

“It’s really not a burden though.” Kon whispered. He reached into a pocket on his shirt, right over his heart and removed a small box. “I’ve been saving this. The time was never right, but I guess the time is never right, but I wanted it to perfect and I know it’s not, however-”

“You’re rambling.” Tim informed him, smiling up at him.

Rather than answer, Kon passed the box to Tim.

Tim took it, marveling at the gold inlay on the wood and flipped the delicate latch. He flipped open the lid.

Inside lay a ring.

Tim couldn’t stifle his gasp. He looked up at Kon, who was staring at his face.

The ring was made of a golden medal, with a brilliant white jewel set on either side by smaller gems of the same stone. It reminded Tim of a star, like the ones over his head, twinkling in the dark sky.

Kon’s voice broke the silence.

“My people have a legend. That we were born from the stars. Rao created us to brighten the night, to stand guard with the moon to protect earth while He was gone. However, some of the stars grew curious about earth and decided to live among the humans they had guarded for centuries. The star that led the others to earth was supposedly Val-El, first king of Krypton. It is said that when we die, we are welcomed home among the stars, to stand guard with our ancestors.” Kon’s voice was quiet. “In days past, my people would have given some sort of star to their intended, to show their commitment.”

In the dark, the gem shone with a faint light.

Kon swallowed. “I planned to ask you before I left the Wayne Kingdom. I was hoping you would return to Krypton with me. I was always afraid to ask.”

“I would have said yes. If you asked.” Tim said, eyes still locked on to Kon’s.

“Then say yes now.” Kon took Tim’s hands in his, careful of the ring Tim held. “If it was just you and me and there were no princes or laws or arranged marriages, if it was just Tim and Kon, would you say yes?”

“I would.” Tim said, breaking into a grin. “You know me too well. But, my love, in your haste, you seem to have forgot something.”

“Ah, what now?” Kon asked, mind frantically scrambling.

“You forgot to ask me.”

Kon’s mind went blank. Surely, he had? His mind ran back the past couple minutes. He had not. He had offered Tim a ring, told him Krypton’s creation story, and forgot to ask. Well, nothing that can’t be fixed.

“Forgive me if I don’t kneel.” Kon took the ring back from Tim, ignoring the unhappy Tim made at its parting. “Timothy Jackson Drake, will you marry me?”

Tim nodded, fake solemn. “Prince Kon-El of Krypton, I accepted your offer of marriage.” Then it seemed that was all the dignity Tim had left, for he threw himself into Kon’s arms and kissed him. When they parted, Tim touched his forehead to Kon’s. “I don’t want to ever want let you go.”

“I’m going to hold you forever. As long as we’re together, we’ll be alright.” Kon took Tim’s left hand and slid the ring onto his finger. Tim stared at in awe before glancing up at Kon with so much love in his eyes that Kon felt part of his heart melt.

They stayed under the tree, wrapped up in each other and cuddled under the cloaks until the early rays of dawn appeared through the trees. By then, they had made plans to meet the day before Tim was supposed to leave for his official betrothed. From there they flee to a large port town named Aurora that was located almost directly in between the Wayne’s kingdom and Krypton. After that it was almost impossible to plan. Tim had enough jewelry that when sold could provide them a tidy sum to last them the first couple months.

Tim had very reluctantly asked Kon to look after his ring, fearing that his parents would find and destroy it.

They parted with a kiss and one last promise to meet again.

_____________

“Are you ready?” Kon asked, picking up his own bag.

Tim swallowed hard but nodded. Kon smiled and took his hand.

The morning had dawn misty and cold and Kon drew his cloak a little tighter to himself. He had left his fine clothes behind, wearing the simpler clothes he bought the day before. It had been surprisingly hard to leave somethings behind. The silks capes and the expensive earrings had been hard to leave behind, but where far too noticeable to risk being caught with them. His crown has the hardest thing to leave behind. He had worked so hard to prove to Kal and the world that he was worthy of it and to leave it behind hurt more than he could ever explain. He’d traced the teardrop red jewel that had hung on his brow for the past three years before leaving it on top of the letter he had wrote to Kal explaining what he could. He knew his King Father would never understand, but he hoped would pass his letters back to Queen Lois, Jon, and Ma.

In Jon’s letter, he had begged forgiveness for leaving Jon with so much more responsibility. He would miss his little brother desperately, but maybe when it was safe Kon could visit him. He sent his love to Lois and Ma, thanking them both for loving him and apologizing for what he had to do. There wasn’t much else he could say.

He’d touched his crown once more. Perhaps Luthor had been right to believe he’d never be a good prince. But he liked to believe he was a good person and seeing Tim smile made him content with his choice.

Tim touched his cheek, snapping him out of him out of his melancholy thoughts.

“The caravan’s leaving. You okay with driving the cart for a bit?”

Kon hopped up onto the seat of the cart they had purchased in secret. The two horses pulling them, named Fleetsilver and Bobbert, shifted slightly when he picked up the reins. Tim inspected their supplies, making sure everything was perfect one last time, before climbing up next to Kon. He pulled a blanket from behind them and wrapped it around both of them before leaning against Kon and promptly falling asleep.

Kon flicked the reins and they melted into caravan of travelers, just two more strangers on a road traveled by thousands.

They made it to Aurora it three days’ time, taking turns driving and sleeping under a tarp at night.

Tim used his magic Tim skills to locate a house in a quiet part of the time that was a ten-minute walk from the market. Kon started to unload their various possessions into the empty house while Tim paid the previous owner.

The house wasn’t fancy. It was obviously old, and part of the roof was starting to leak, but Kon knew that he could fix it. Maybe. Well, if he couldn’t, Tim certainly could.

He walked outside to see Tim shaking hands with the owner. They said their farewells. Kon snuck up behind Tim and scooped him up bridal carry, causing Tim to punch him in the shoulder. Kon carried him over the threshold into their new home.

“I’m pretty sure your supposed to do that after the wedding,” complained Tim.

“Speaking of which, want to get married tonight?” Kon asked, setting Tim on his feet.

“No time like the present.” Tim pressed a kiss to Kon’s lips before setting about unpacking the few things they brought.

Kon walked back out side to pick up one of the many crates with false bottoms, each stuffed with loose jewels and gold coins that Tim had carefully hoarded, resembling a pirate chest. He hid them in the cellar and tested the lock.

They only unpacked what they would need for the night before setting out to explore their new city. Tim had wanted a port town in case they needed to leave quickly on a boat and Kon immediately fell in love with a small beach that was on the outskirts of town. They wandered their way through the market, stopping to eat strange foods and gawk at the people who ran the stalls.

As the sun set over the city, they made their way to the city hall. All that was required to be married was to sign a certificate with an official clerk. There was no one else in the hall, the sun was setting and most people were returning home. They signed their marriage license and held hands out of the hall, legally married.

They exchanged rings in front of a church that overlooked the ocean. Tim had kept the Kon’s ring a secret until the moment he placed it on his finger.

Kon’s ring was a band of silver with white crystals inlayed into the band. The crystals were connected with thin lines etched into it, forming a constellation. Tim had the band engraved on the inside with the words _We will meet again in the stars_.

Kon slid the ring he had proposed to Tim with onto his finger. The ring reflected the setting sun, absorbing some of its light. Although the rings were not a matching pair Kon thought they were perfect together.

Their vows were simple, but true. They promised to love each other and protect the other and that was enough for both. They had no need of flowery language or grand speeches. It was just the two of them. Strangers moved around the streets below, as unaware of the lovers as the lovers were of them.

Tim cradled Kon’s face in his hands, admiring his now-husbands face. Kon rested his hands to Tim’s waist.

“I never actually thought we’d get here,” murmured Tim.

“_Here _as in Aurora or _here_ as in lawfully married?”

“Both, I guess. I kept waiting for something to go wrong.”

“Even if it does, we’ll face it together.”

Tim pressed a kiss to Kon’s lips. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

They walked hand in hand back to the city, back to their new home. Kon carried Tim over the threshold like he promised and carried him the whole way to their new bed.

When Kon woke in the morning to Tim, laying diagonal across their shared bed and stealing all of the blankets, he thought that perhaps he was the luckiest man in the world. 

_______________

Life wasn’t perfect after that, it never is. They had their arguments and Tim still stole all the blankets, leaving Kon in the cold. For the first time for both, they had to be careful with money, budgeting to ensure that they could eat next month.

When the news came to Aurora that the Drakes had officially disowned their son, Kon had held Tim while he cried. His parents proved their cruelty, offering up a large bounty for the person who managed to find their runaway son.

When Jon’s birthday came and past and Kon didn’t send a letter for fear it would be traced back, Tim had comforted him with hugs and promised it would be different someday.

Despite these difficulties, Kon was the happiest he’d ever been in his life. He knew Tim was too. His step was lighter, his smiles brighter, and Kon could sometimes hear him humming as he walked. Tim’s hair was longer and Kon loved to run his fingers though it, braiding flowers into it every chance he got.

Every day Kon would try to beat Tim home from work and he would win about half the time. The person who made it home first had to start dinner, which meant that they got to choose. The added benefit was the happy-surprised face Tim made when Kon opened the door before he made it past the gate, like he still couldn’t believe that they were safe.

They made friends with their next-door neighbors. A girl named Stephanie live on their right, sharing her home with a brother and sister, Harper and Cullen Row. They would have dinner together once a week, with Stephanie and Kon handling most of the cooking. While Tim was a decent cook, putting him and Harper in a room together was a surefire way to guarantee that their dinner would be cooked via explosions. 

___________

One day, several months after they moved in, Tim unlatched the gate and was greeted by the rows of flower buds he and Kon had planted when they arrived pushing their way through the dirt.

He passed the tree that he’d attached a swing to, to remind them of the garden where they met. The neighborhood kids would occasionally beg Tim to push them on the swing. Their parents always sent baked goods as apologizes, but Tim liked playing with them. He taught a few of them how to cartwheel and other basic tricks that Prince Richard had taught him. Kon would often smuggle the children cookies and the neighborhood children adored them both.

He heard a woof and braced himself for the white blur that rammed into his legs. Krypto was the newest addition to their little family. Kon had found him wandering the streets and brought him home. He also had refused to allow Tim to help name him, saying he learned his lesson after Fleetsilver and Bobbert. Krypto got along well with both horses and they tolerated him in return. The giant white fluffball weighed almost as much as Tim and they were both sure there was more than a little wolf in him. Despite that, Krypto was the sweetest dog Tim had ever met and always slept at the foot of their bed and tolerated the children who would tug on his fur with much more patience than Tim would have.

After giving Krypto several pats, Tim opened the front door. Krypto rushed past him to say hello to Kon again and Tim followed the dog into the kitchen.

“Hello, starlight. Welcome home!” Kon paused stirring the soup to give Tim a kiss on the cheek. “Can you take the bread out of the oven?”

Tim dutifully removed the bread, gazing at the golden-brown loaf and planning to eat half of it before the night was over.

“Steph came by and returned the wrench Harper “borrowed” and invited us over for lunch tomorrow,” Kon informed Tim as he gathered spices to add to the soup. “Widow Mac offered to teach me how to make her scones and you can bet your ass I took her up on the offer. Seriously, Tim. You have to try them. I swear she uses magic. Oh, I sorry, I'm rambling. How was your day?”

“Oh, same old, same old. I’m happy to be home.”

Home. What a strange concept. For years his home was Castle Drake, only it wasn’t his home, merely a place he lived. It was grand and imposing, but Tim was always cold there, no matter how thick his blankets. It was a lonely place, where the servants would hardly speak two words to him. His parents wouldn’t speak to him at all.

When King Wayne started to take him under his wing, Tim thought maybe he could find a home in the royal family, only for his father ban him in a fit of jealous rage from spending too much time in the royal palace, fearing that the King would take Tim away. That ended the him spending days on end in the palace, forcing Tim back into the cold Castle Drake.

Now his home was a small cottage with ivy crawling up the front, squished in between an old widow and a trio of crazy people who routinely stole various tools and cookware. There was a dog that occasionally barked at the clouds and two picky horses. It was always warm and cozy and stuffed with books, like Kon promised.

Most importantly, it had Kon in it.

Tim tugged Kon down so he could kiss him properly. When Kon tilted his head in an unasked question. Tim laughed.

“I’m just really happy to be home.”

_End._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I stole a line from Hadestown, but only because I was listening to All I've Ever Known on repeat. Love that musical, truly blessed to have seen it live, I bawled my eyes out.
> 
> Anyway, sorry it's late and I'll see you tomorrow!


End file.
